The Hunger Games Propaganda
Propaganda is the material distributed to win people over to a particular doctrine. It’s a way that the government uses to control the prospective of people. In the novel The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. It’s a story about 12 districts that fall in one country. Each year, 2 people are chosen by the government which is called “The Capitol” to go fight till death in a series of events called the “Hunger Games”. In this story, there are three ways that we can see propaganda: T.V, the “Star-Crossed Lovers” plan and the scores of the tributes in the auditions.
The first example of when propaganda is used in the Hunger Games is when the tributes will get their scores in the public eye. First of all, it makes the games look like a competition in people’s head, since the tributes are looking to get the best scores to impress the Capitol. Second of all, these scores decide whether people are going to love or hate the tributes, which will affect them later on in the arena. Third of all, the more scores you get, the more sponsors you have to help you in the arena. Over all, these scores affect the way that people look and think about the games.
Another example of when propaganda is used in the novel is when Katniss and Peeta play the “Star-Crossed Lovers” plan when Haymitch told them to do so. The plan has convinced people that Peeta and Katniss are in love with each other which made the crowd love them even more and it got them more sponsors in the arena. Another point , it made people feel sorry about Katniss and Peeta because there can only be one winner , therefore it was like telling people that the games are not fair for the tributes to play like that. Also, it made people believe that the “Star-Crossed Lovers” plan was like a rebellion against the game makers’ rules and against the Capitol it self. It is clear that the “Star-Crossed Lovers” plan showed propaganda.
The last and most important example in the Hunger Games is when the games are shown in public T.V and media screens. Firstly, it makes the games look like a sport, which includes tributes losing (dying), and when there is only one winner, and where the commentators are keeping up with the games like it’s some kind of a sport. Secondly, they make the people think that the games look like news, where Claudius Templesmith announces the changes in the rules , and when they shoot the cannons each time a tribute dies , and they make their faces appear in the sky. Lastly, they make the games look fun and glamorous when they make the movie about the games when people are watching and enjoying, and when they make a montage with music on it to show people the events that happened in the games. Therefore, it is evident that the games showing on T.V is a part of the Capitol’s propaganda.
In conclusion, propaganda is the way that the government uses as a tool to control the people’s minds or to change their way of thinking. The Government uses it through media, or posters, or even radio and magazines. Propaganda is also shown in the Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins. Where the Capitol uses T.V to show the games and what is happening in the arena. Also when Haymitch creates the “Star-Crossed Lovers” plan to convince people that Peeta and Katniss are in love. And lastly, when the Capitol shows the scores of the tributes that they got in their audition, so they can get a lot of sponsors.
